The time allowed to sue on a contract ranges from three years in Germany and India to six years in England and Singapore, with four years for US sales of goods under the UCC. The start date differs as much as the length: Germany counts from the end of the year of knowledge, India from the breach, England from accrual. Some systems let parties shorten the period by contract; India does not.
How long, and from when
In England and Wales a simple contract claim must be brought within six years of accrual, and a claim on a deed within twelve. Singapore also allows six years for contract claims and 12 years to sue on a judgment. India allows three years for compensation for breach of contract, running from the breach or, for continuing breaches, from when the breach ceases.
Germany's regular period is three years, but it starts only at the end of the year in which the claim arose and the creditor knew or should have known the facts and the debtor; a ten-year long-stop applies to most other claims regardless of knowledge. Under the UCC as enacted by US states, a claim on a contract for the sale of goods must be brought within four years.1234567
Contractual time bars and recent Gulf reforms
Parties sometimes shorten limitation periods by contract. Under the UCC they may reduce the four-year period to not less than one year but cannot extend it. In India, by contrast, an agreement that limits the time within which a party may enforce its contractual rights is void to that extent, although agreements to arbitrate are excepted.
The Gulf civil codes have changed recently. The UAE Civil Transactions Law, in force since 1 June 2026, applies its new limitation rules to periods not yet completed, with special rules where the new period is shorter; tort-type claims are barred three years after knowledge and 15 years after the act. The Saudi Civil Transactions Law, in force since late 2023, sets periods from one to ten years for specific cases according to a law-firm summary.78910
| Market | Period | Runs from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 6 years (12 for deeds) | Accrual of the cause of action | Limitation Act 1980 ss5, 8 |
| Singapore | 6 years (12 years on a judgment) | Accrual of the cause of action | Limitation Act 1959 s6 |
| India | 3 years | Breach (or when a continuing breach ceases) | Limitation Act 1963 Art 55 |
| Germany | 3 years; 10-year long-stop | End of the year of accrual and knowledge | §§ 195, 199 BGB |
| United States (state law, sale of goods) | 4 years; can be cut to 1 year | Accrual | UCC 2-725 |
| United Arab Emirates | General contract period not confirmed; tort 3 / 15 years | Knowledge / act | Civil Transactions Law 2025 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 to 10 years by type (secondary) | Not confirmed | Norton Rose Fulbright |
Decisions to make
- Which law governs limitation for this claim?145Periods range from three to six years among the main markets, and the start date rules differ.
- Should the contract shorten the period?78US sales law allows a reduction to one year; India voids clauses limiting the time to enforce rights.
- Should the contract be executed as a deed under English law?2A deed gives twelve years instead of six.
- Was a UAE limitation period running on 1 June 2026?9The new rules apply to periods not yet completed.
Documents usually needed
- Claims diary recording breach dates and the date of knowledge
- Written acknowledgments of debt, where the governing law allows them to restart time
- Standstill agreements during negotiations
- Contract execution records showing whether it was signed as a deed
- Notices of claim served under any contractual notice clause
Common mistakes
- Applying the six-year English period to an Indian-law claim
- Counting German limitation from the breach date instead of the end of the year
- Including a short time-bar clause in an Indian-law contract
- Letting negotiations run past the deadline without a standstill
- Ignoring the UAE transitional rule for periods running on 1 June 2026
Questions businesses ask
How long do we have to sue on a supply contract in Germany?
Usually three years, counted from the end of the year in which the claim arose and the creditor knew or should have known the facts and the debtor.56
Can an Indian contract shorten the time to sue?
No. Section 28 of the Indian Contract Act makes an agreement limiting the time to enforce contractual rights void to that extent, subject to the arbitration exception.8
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- The general limitation period for contractual claims under the new UAE Civil Transactions Law and the commercial period under the UAE Commercial Transactions Law were not located in the text read.
- French periods (Code civil Article 2224 and Code de commerce L110-4) could not yet be checked on Legifrance.
- US state general contract limitation statutes (outside the UCC) vary and were not compiled.
- Saudi periods and article numbers were confirmed only from a law-firm summary.
- Indian Limitation Act text was read only as reproduced in a High Court judgment; India Code blocked automated access.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
In England and Wales an action founded on simple contract cannot be brought after six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued. Limitation Act 1980, section 5. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules.
In England and Wales an action upon a specialty, such as a contract made by deed, cannot be brought after twelve years from the date on which the cause of action accrued. Limitation Act 1980, section 8(1).
In Singapore actions founded on contract must be brought within six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued, and an action upon a judgment within 12 years from when the judgment became enforceable. Limitation Act 1959, section 6(1)(a) and 6(3) (2020 Revised Edition).
In India a suit for compensation for breach of contract not otherwise specifically provided for must be brought within three years from when the contract is broken, or for successive breaches when the breach sued on occurs, or for a continuing breach when it ceases. Limitation Act 1963, Schedule, Article 55. Central law.
India Code blocked automated access to the Limitation Act; the article text was read as reproduced in a High Court judgment hosted by a legal news site.
The regular limitation period under German law is three years. § 195 BGB.
The German regular limitation period starts at the end of the year in which the claim arose and the creditor learned, or without gross negligence should have learned, of the facts and the debtor's identity; claims not covered by the special long-stop rules expire ten years after they arise regardless of knowledge. § 199(1) and (4) BGB.
Under Uniform Commercial Code section 2-725(1), an action for breach of a contract for sale must be commenced within four years after the cause of action accrued, and the parties may reduce the period to not less than one year but may not extend it. State law; sales of goods. Other contracts follow each state's general limitation statute.
Read on the Cornell Legal Information Institute reproduction of the Uniform Commercial Code, which is a model text; each state enacts its own version, so confirm the enacted text in the state whose law applies.
Under section 28 of the Indian Contract Act an agreement that absolutely restricts a party from enforcing its contractual rights through ordinary legal proceedings, or limits the time within which it may do so, is void to that extent; an agreement to refer disputes to arbitration is excepted. Central law; section 28 with Exception 1.
The new UAE Civil Transactions Law applies its limitation rules to periods that had not been completed when it came into force on 1 June 2026, with special rules where the new period is shorter; claims for compensation for a harmful act are barred three years after the injured party knew of the damage and the person responsible, and in any event 15 years after the act. Federal; Articles 6(1), 7 and 258(1) and (3). The general period for contractual claims was not located in the truncated text read.
English text is an official translation; the platform states that the Arabic text prevails. The downloaded text was long and partly truncated when read.
The Saudi Civil Transactions Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/191 on 19 June 2023 and in force 180 days after publication, sets limitation periods ranging from one year to ten years in specific cases. The commentary states the law has retrospective effect where relevant, applying to contracts made before and after it took effect.
Secondary (law firm) source; the commentary expected commencement in mid-December 2023. Specific periods and article numbers were not confirmed on an official text.
Questions on this topic
10 statements on limitation periods
